Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-22
aai1S& eagle
WAS SHE INSANE?
THE JEALOUSY OF THE MARTYRED
PRESIDENTS WIFE.

THE JEALOUSY OF THE MARTYREc
PRESIDENTS WIFE.
Cen. Badeau Throws Some Light on
Mrs. Lincoln's Eccentricities.Her I'm.
eovcrnable Rage Aroused by Trifies
Lincoln's Bearing Through it All.
The account Of Lincoln's lovemaking in
his history by Nicolay and Hay seems almost
ominous when read by the light Of later
knowledge. The anxieties and forebodings
and absolute agony Of the future president
on the eve of marriage the most incredlious
might say, presaged the destiny that i'm
pended For no one knows the character OF
Abraham Lincoln, his godiike patience, his
ineffable sweetness, his transcendent charity
amid all the tremendous worries of war and
revolution and public affairs, who is igno-
rant of what he endured Of private woe, and
no one rightly judges the unfortunate part
ner of his elevation and unwilling cause Of
many of his miseries, who forgets that she
had ''eaten on tho insane root that takes the
reason prisoner"
The country knows but has preferred to
forget the strangeness Of Mrs. Lincoln's con-
duct at intervals after her husband death.
Many of the most extraordinary incidents in
her career were not revealed, out Of delcacy
to others and tenderness to one who had been
the sharer of Abraham Lincoln's fort unes
and the mother of his family; but enough
was apparent to shock and pain the public
sense when finally the conflict with her own
son, SO highly respected, the dragging of
their affairs into public court, the neces-
sary supervision of the poor lady's finances
and the restraint of her actions, if not o. her
person, disclosed the fact that her mind had
been diseased.
The first time that saw Mrs. Lincoln was
when / accompanied Mrs Grant to the
White House for her first visit there as the
wife Of the general -in-chief. The next that
Inow recall was in March, 1864, when Mrs.
Lincoln, with the president, visited City
Point. They went on a steamer, escorted
by a naval vessel of which Capt. John S.
Barnes was in command, and remained for
some weeks in the James river under the
bluff on which the headquarters were estab-
lished. Here they slept and usually took
their meals but sometimes both assembled the
hill and were entertained at the mess of Gen.
Grant. On the 26th Of March a distin-
EulSItcu " dSulIlSUOH JOlucu
them, among whom l remember especially
Mr. Geofroi, tho French minister. 1t was
proposed that an excursion should be made
to the front of the Army of the Potomac,
about ten or twelve mfes away. and Mrs.
Lincoln and Mrs. Grant were of the COM
pany. There was military railroad which
took the illustrious guests a great portion Of
the way, and then the men We're mounted,
but Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Lincoln went on
In an ambulance, as it was called-a sort Of
half open carriage with two seats besides
that for the driver. was detailed to escort
them, and of course sat on the front seat
facing the ladies, with my back to the horses.
EXTRAORDINARY JEALOUSY
In the course of conversation | mentioned
that all the wives OF officers at the army
front had been ordered to the rear-a sur
sign that active operations were in contem
plation I said not lady had been allowed
to remain except Mrs. Griffin, the wife of
Gen. Charles Griffin, who had obtained
special permission from the president. At
this Mrs. Lincoln was up III arms "What
do you mean by that. sir?n sho exclaimed
''Do you mean to say that she saw the rrosi
dent alonc' Do you kow that never allow
the president to see any woman alone|' She
was absolutely jealous of poor, ugly Abraham
Lincoln. | tried to pacify her and to pailiate
my remark, but she was fairly boiling over
with rage. That's q very equivocal smile,
sir she exclaimed. ''let me out of this
carriage at once. l will ask the president if
he saw that woman alone" Mrs. Griffin
was one of the best known and most elegant
women il Washington, afterward the Coun-
tess Esterhazy. I Carroll and personal ac-
gu aintance of Mrs Grant, who strove TO mol
lily the excited spouse, but in vain. Mrs
Lincoln again babe me stop the driver, and
when heSitated to obey she thrust her arms
past me TO the front of the carriage and held
the driver fast. But Mrs Grant finally pre-
vailed on her to wait till the whole party
alightcd, and then Gen. Meade came up to
pay his respects to the wife of the president
had intended to offer Mrs Lincoln nv arm
and endeavor to prevent a scene, but Meade,
of course, as my superior officer had the
right TO escort her, and had no chance to
warn him. l saw them so off together, and
remained in fear and trembling for what
might occur in the presence of the foreign
minister and other important strangers.
But Gen. Meade was very adroit, and
when they returned Mrs. Lincoln looked at
uIS Uti'i Siiti utii. - Il StllleIIltl,
sir. He says it was not the president who
gave Mrs. Griffin the permit, but the secre-
tary of war" Meade was the son of diplo-
matist and had evidently inherited some of
his fathers skill
At night when we were back in camp Mrs.
Grant talked over the matter with me and
said the whole affair was so distressing and
notifying that we must never either men
ton it to any one; at least 1 was to be alb
solutely silent and she would disclose it only
to the general. But the next day was re-
leased from my pledge, for ''worse remained
behind"
The same party went in the morning to
visit the Army of the James on the north
side of the river, commanded by Gen Ord
The arrangements were somewhat similar to
those the day before We went UP the river
in steamer, and then the men again took
horses and Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs Grant
went i'll an ambulance. I was detailed as
before to act rs escort, but asked for &
in the duty; for after my expert
ence of the previous day did not wish to be
the only officer in tho carriage So Gen
Horace Porter WAS ordered to join the party.
Mrs. Ord WAS with her husband As she
was the wife of the commander of an army
She was not subject to the order for return.
though before that day was over she wished
herself in Washington or anywhere else away
from the army, l am sure She was
and as the ambulance was full she
on her horse and rode for q while
by the side of the president and ahead of
Mrs Lincoln
TRIPLES LIGHT AS AIR.
As soon Us Mrs. Lincoln discovered this her
rage was beyond all bounds. 'What does
the woman mean" she exclaimed. ''by rid
lns by the side of the president and ahead Of
inc? Does she suppose that he wants her by
the side of him. Sha was in q frenzy of |